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    HOME GARDEN DAY 2021 – VIRTUAL
    Monday, January 11
    9:00 AM  – 2:00 PM

    Home Gardener Day 2021 features four lecture sessions to prepare you to Grow Wild in your own backyard. Four speakers – Doug Tallamy, Ryan McEnaney, Brie Arthur, and Ian Caton – will talk about:

    • Why we should all plant native
    • Breeding of cultivars
    • Using natives in food gardens
    • How to propagate these plants

    The fee is $45. For more information and to register see this link.

    LEWIS GINTER BOTANICAL GARDEN
    1800 Lakeside Avenue
    Richmond, Virginia 23228
    804-262-9887

    Enjoy the cozy heat of the conservatory filled with cacti, tropicals, and orchids, and sate your desire for seeing and sniffing beautiful blooms. The outside gardens also offer January blooms, such as winter jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum), stinking hellebore (Helleborus foetidus), ‘Jelena’ witch hazel (Hamamelis × intermedia ‘Jelena’), and more. Masks & online tickets required for entry to the gardens and the conservatory. See this link for visitor information.

    PIEDMONT MASTER GARDENERS
    SPRING LECTURE SERIES 2021 – VIRTUAL AND FREE
    THURSDAYS IN MARCH

    March 4, – Ira Wallace, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – “Better Backyard Tomatoes ”
    March 11 – Carol Heiser, Retired from Dept. of Game and Inland Fisheries  – “What Is Conservation Landscaping? ”
    March 18 – Mike Raupp, University of Maryland  – “What a Warming World Means for Plants, Pests and and Their Natural Enemies”
    March 25 – Robyn Puffenbarger, Bridgewater College – “Robins to Raptors: Observing Birds in Our Backyards”

    Save the dates for this free educational opportunity just in time for spring! Check the Piedmont Master Gardeners Website for more information. Registration opens February 1, 2021.

    CHARLOTTESVILLE AREA TREE STEWARDS
    Free Classes via ZOOM Announced for first half of 2021

    Registrations are now open for the January and February classes listed below. Further information on additional classes will be available nearer the time.  These Virtual classes are free, but if you would like to attend, we ask that you register through the links below. After you register, you will receive an email with a Zoom link a few days before the class.

    “Pruning Landscape Trees”
    Saturday morning, January 23
    10:00 AM – Noon

    This free class on pruning landscape trees is presented by Tree Steward Tim Maywalt. Learn how to prune to improve tree health and appearance, while reducing the risk of branch failure. Also, find out what tools to use and how to use them safely along with best pruning practices used by professional arborists. Click link to register: https://forms.gle/N1jkyTM6HC4BiLuT7

    “Tree Basics Class: Tree Identification by Season: Winter”
    Tuesday, February 9
    7:00-8:30 PM

    Throughout the winter season the underlying tree architecture is revealed, providing us with an opportunity to focus on the fundamentals of tree ID. Join us for an evening to learn some key characteristics to identifying trees throughout the year. Emily Ferguson, a Tree Steward, will discuss bark, branching patterns, and more. Click link to register: https://forms.gle/9HuCoqobciMFaF5k9

    ADDITIONAL CLASSES – REGISTRATION AND TIMES TO BE ANNOUNCED

    • Select, plant and care for trees, Saturday afternoon, March 20
    • Identify trees in spring, Tuesday evening, April 13
    • Identify and control non-native invasive plants, Sunday afternoon, May 23
    • Identify trees in summer, Tuesday evening, June 15

    See this link for information on when class registration begins.

    3rd ANNUAL NATIVE PLANT SYMPOSIUM FOR BEGINNERS
    “Stop Mowing, Start Growing!”
    Saturday, February 6, REGISTER BY JANUARY 31
    9:00 AM – Noon

    Sponsored by: Prince William Conservation Alliance, VCE – Prince William Master Gardeners, Prince William Wildflower Society, and Prince William Soil and Water Conservation District. For detailed program information, fees, and to register, see this link.

    RIVANNA CHAPTER, VIRGINIA MASTER NATURALIST
    2021 Training Class Registration Is Open
    Tuesdays, February 2 – May 18, 6:30 PM, via ZOOM
    Deadline for Applications: January 5

    To learn about the 2021 training class, and how to become a certified Master Naturalist, please review “Introducing the Rivanna Master Naturalist Program.”

    See this link for information on the program, and for registration instructions.  QUESTIONS?   Call Ida Swenson at 434-996-8405 or email idathefriz@gmail.com

    ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPE ALLIANCE
    “Focus on Sustainability”
    January-February Webinars

    This webinar series is geared to landscape professionals, land managers, garden enthusiasts, and anyone who stewards the land. The series is presented through collaboration of the Ecological Landscape Alliance (ELA), the Chesapeake Conservation Landscaping Council (CCLC), ReScape, DeepRoots Kansas City, and the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). Interactive webinars are taught by experts from across the country and cover a wide range topics relevant to sustainable landscapes. Additional webinars are being scheduled; please check back often for an updated list of offerings.

    Wednesday, January 13 – “The Challenges of Restoring Native Urban Habitat”
    Friday, January 22 – “Grassroot Seed Propagation of Native Plants”
    Wednesday, January 27 – “Expanding Biodiversity – Attracting Birds to Your Yard”
    Wednesday, February 3 – “American Oaks – Diversity, Ecology, and Identification”
    Monday, February 8 – “Regenerative Design – How Living in Agreement with Nature Helps Organizations Thrive”
    Wednesday, February 10 – “Oak Red-List Project – Main Threats to Oaks and Saving Oaks from Extinction”

    See this link for information on Ecological Landscape Alliance, membership info, webinar descriptions, times, and fees.

    VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (VAEE)
    “Seasons Through Virginia’s Regions”
    VIRTUAL Mini Conference Series

    Attend one or all of the virtual mini conferences to be held on February 20, July 17, and October 23. Registration for the February 20 event is now open. See this link for more information on session, fees, and to register.

    UVA OLLI GARDENING-RELATED CLASSES
    (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute)
    University-level Short Courses and Classes for Seniors
    Upcoming 2021 Spring Semester Catalogue

    Look for gardening-related classes (and more) as part of the Spring 2021 course offering:

    • “McIntire Botanical Garden: Its Past, Present and Future” (p. 28)
    • “Bird Life of Central Virginia” (p. 32)
    • “Tree Blindness – And How to Cure It” (p.32)

    You will be able to purchase a Spring OLLI membership online beginning on Friday, January 8. A membership fee of $75 per semester entitles you to register for courses offered in that semester. Additional fees for courses are listed in the catalogue. Registration for spring courses begins Tuesday, January 19 at 10:00 AM. Popular courses fill up fast, and you are advised by OLLI to sign up online as soon as possible after registration opens. View the 2021 Spring Brochure at this link.

    GREENSPACE SYMPOSIUM – LIVE ZOOM EVENT
    “Back to Our Roots: Leveraging Native Plants to Restore the Environment”
    Friday, February 19
    9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

    Join us for a fascinating day of innovative presentations that dig deep into how native plants can restore natural ecosystems in a range of landscapes, from backyards and public gardens to urban and commercial projects. Experts will tackle the native vs. non-native plant debate: Is a native plant-only prescription necessary? Under what conditions should non-native plants be incorporated, and what are the risks of using cultivars? Join the conversation as experts assess the environmental benefits that native ecosystems create, such as decreasing pollution and fighting climate change.

    Early Bird Fee, $45 until January 8; Standard Fee, $55 after January 9. Register using this link ActiveMontgomery.org (Course #87621) or call 301-962-1470. Registration includes link to watch recordings of each session after the event.

    BLUE RIDGE PRISM (PARTNERSHIP FOR REGIONAL INVASIVE SPECIES MANAGEMENT)
    “Invasive Control in Winter “- Panel Discussion via Zoom
    Thursday, January 28, 2021

    This free Zoom quarterly meeting will start with a short update on PRISM activities followed by a panel discussion on “Invasive Control in Winter.” See this link for more information and to register.

    NDAL – NEW DIRECTIONS IN THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE
    Founded in 1990 by Larry Weaner
    An Educational Series Dedicated to the Art and Science of Natural Landscape Design

    Virtual 32nd Annual Ecological Landscape Symposium
    “Guiding Theory into Reality: It Don’t Mean a Thing if the Landscape Don’t Sing”

    Cosponsored by New Directions in the American Landscape, Morris Arboretum of the University of PA, and Connecticut College Arboretum:

    January 21 & 22, 2021 | 1:00 – 4:30 PM EST*
    January 28 & 29, 2021 | 9:00 AM – 12:30 PM EST*

    *All four dates are distinct programs with different speakers – register for the full bundle or individual days.

    Incorporating science into landscape design benefits both the people and the animals who share the landscape. In this virtual symposium, we will explore how scientific research can lead to tangible approaches for a new landscape tradition, one where ecological, anthropological, and sociological considerations expand the scope of landscape design. See this link for more information and to register.

    THE NATURE FOUNDATION AT WINTERGREEN
    January/February Guided Hikes
    Zoom Lecture Series, “The Birth of the Blue Ridge”

    The first of a four-part lecture series on “The Birth of the Blue Ridge” will be offered on Friday, January 15, 7:00-8:00 PM.  Join TNFW staff and Virginia’s Department of Geology and Minerals Geologist Lorrie Coiner Skiffington for a lecture on the geological history of Wintergreen and the region, and the significance of the evolution of the region’s narrow passage. Please see this link to register.

    The second lecture in the series will take place on Friday, January 29, 7:00-8:00 PM. Join Biologist, Chris Ludwig (Coauthor, Flora of Virginia book). Please see this link to register.

    There will be an opportunity for questions after each presentation. Please include an email address for an invitation to the event. Payment is due at time of registration. The last two lectures in the series will be on February 12 and 26.

    For information on guided hikes, difficulty ratings, and to register, please see this link to the January/February calendar.

    MONARCH JOINT VENTURE
    The 2021 Monarch Conservation Webinar Series
    4th Tuesday of the Month *
    2:00 PM EST

    The Monarch Joint Venture is partnering with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service National Conservation Training Center to put on another year full of informative and inspiring webinars on all things monarch. Starting in January, webinars will be held live on the 4th Tuesday of the month at 2 PM Eastern Time. * The November and December dates have been moved to avoid conflicting with major holidays. Each webinar will be recorded and available here for later viewing as well.

    Check out the webinar titles and dates below, and click on a title to register:

    Please note this list is subject to change. Their events page will have the most up to date information on our webinar series, as well as a calendar of additional monarch-related events.

    VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION (VCE) VIDEO LIBRARY

    VCE offers a variety of videos on topics geared to both beginner and more advanced gardeners. Examples of topics include:

    Small Fruits in the Home Garden
    Good Bugs, Bad Bugs
    Succulent Propagation and Care
    Boxwood Blight: How it Spreads

    For these and many more videos that address specific topics or those of more general interest, see this link.

    Susan Martin

    Susan Martin

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